Sanctified 16

Read about the Sanctified 16 participating in our March Madness with the Saints this year. Vote for who you would like to see advance to the Exalted 8 at the bottom of this page! Share this page with your friends!

Click on the picture of each saint to read more about them!

Region 1

1. St. Bernadette

St. Bernadette Soubirous is the renowned visionary of Lourdes. She was born into a poor family in Lourdes, France, in 1844 and was baptized with the name Mary Bernard.

Our Lady first appeared to the 14-year-old Bernadette on Feb. 11, 1858, in a cave on the banks of the Gave River near Lourdes. The visions continued for a period of several weeks. Two weeks after the first appearance of Our Lady, a spring emerged from the cave, and the waters were found to miraculously heal the sick and the lame. One month later, on March 25, the woman whom Bernadette had been seeing told her that her name was "the Immaculate Conception", and that a chapel should be built on the site of the apparitions.

Civil authorities tried to frighten Bernadette into retracting her accounts, but she remained faithful to her visions. They also tried to shut down the spring and delay the construction of the chapel, but Empress Eugenie of France intervened when her child was cured with the water from the spring, and the church was built.



In 1866, Bernadette entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in Nevers. She was diagnosed with a painful, incurable illness soon afterward and died in 1879 at the age of 35. Pope Pius XI canonized her in 1933.

5. St. Gerard Majella

Gerard Majella (1726-1755) is known popularly today as “The Mothers’ Saint.” It may seem odd that a male religious should be the saint for mothers, mothers-to-be and those wanting to become mothers. The origin comes from an incident that happened in the last months of his short life.

Once, as St. Gerard was leaving the home of his friends, the Pirofalo family, one of the daughters called after him because he had forgotten his handkerchief. In a moment of prophetic insight Gerard said: “Keep it. It will be useful to you some day.” The handkerchief was treasured as a precious souvenir of Gerard. Years later the girl to whom he had given it was in danger of death during childbirth. She remembered the words of Gerard, and called for the handkerchief. Almost immediately the danger passed and she delivered a healthy child.

This wonderful story was the beginning of devotion to and belief in the miraculous powers of St. Gerard in favor of women who are soon to become mothers, who long to be mothers or who already are mothers.

The Redemptorists were not the first to encourage devotion to St. Gerard. The popularity of this devotion is due, first of all, to all the Italian women and mothers who believed and promoted their confidence and trust in the intercession of St. Gerard. It was Italian mothers who spread this devotion throughout Italy and Italian immigrant women who took the devotion with them to many parts of the world.



Gerard Majella was born on April 6, 1726 in Muro, Italy. He was the son of a tailor who died when Gerard was 12, leaving the family in poverty. Gerard tried to join the Capuchin order but was denied because of his ill health. He was later accepted as a Redemptorist brother serving the Redemptorist congregation as gardener, tailor, fundraiser, peacemaker and spiritual adviser.

His intercession is requested for children (and unborn children in particular), childbirth, mothers (and expectant mothers in particular), motherhood, people falsely accused, good confessions and religious brothers.

He was a man of great depth and insight, prayer and kindness. He was a mystic and a reader of hearts, ever seeking to be perfectly obedient to the will of God. Unfortunately his health was never good. He died from tuberculosis on October 16, 1755 at 29 years of age. Gerard was beatified on January 29, 1893 by Pope Leo XIII, and canonized on December 11, 1904 by Pope Saint Pius X. His feast day is October 16th.

2. St. Andre Bessette

The superior of the Holy Cross Brothers in Montreal could not help but doubt the vocation of 25 year-old Alfred Bessette (1845-1937), who showed up at his door asking to enter religious life. The young man, orphaned at twelve, was desperately poor. He had been an itinerant worker most of his life, in Quebec and in factories in the United States. The jobs he had held had been brief, for Alfred suffered poor health from birth and could not work as much as an ordinary laborer. Moreover, what was an illiterate man doing asking for admission into an order of teaching brothers? Everything told the superior to reject such an applicant. But there was a note from the young man’s pastor: “I am sending you a saint….”

The superior hesitated, at first turning Alfred away. But the bishop of Montreal intervened, and the Holy Cross Brothers accepted this sickly young man. “Brother André,” he was called, taking on a new name for his new life. His community could not think of anything for him to do other than answer the door of their boarding school. “At the end of my novitiate,” Brother André joked later, “my superiors showed me the door, and there I stayed for forty years.”

Something happens when the same person answers the door for hundreds of people day in and day out, for years. They come to know him, and some come to intuit that this brother prays more than most. They begin to tell him their sufferings. He prays with the sick, asks God to heal them, and commends them to St. Joseph, whom he loves. The word begins to spread quietly through the city: That simple brother who doesn’t know how to read? God has given him the gift of healing. People at the door no longer come to see those inside; they want the porter.

The other brothers begin to grumble. He’s a fraud, some say. A danger to the order. But that is a level of complexity that Brother André cannot understand. Of course I don’t heal, he tells them. I pray to St. Joseph, and he intercedes for them with his foster Son. So many people come asking for healing that Brother André’s superiors ask him to receive visitors at the nearby trolley station. Soon, 80,000 letters arrive for him a year.

To everyone to came, Brother André’s message was the same: “Go to Joseph. He will help you. Come, we’ll pray together." In 1904, Brother André asked the Archbishop of Montreal for permission to build a small chapel to honor St. Joseph across the street from the school. You can build only what you have money for, the bishop replied. Brother André did not have any money. So he began to give haircuts, at 5 cents apiece. In a few years be had enough to build what was essentially a small roofless hut. Over many years came better walls, a roof, heating, and thousands of pilgrims – so many that plans were made for the little wooden chapel to become a basilica. To this place of miracles, where God visited the broken, those who came brought the wounds of their hearts, the sufferings of their bodies, and their faith to St. Joseph and to his friend, this simple brother who received them and helped them to pray.

When Brother André was ninety years old, he asked some of his coworkers to place a statue of St. Joseph in the unfinished church. They carried him, old and sick, up the hill so that he could see it. When he died on January 6, 1937, those hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who had come over the years came again, despite the frigid Quebec winter. They came in gratitude: in a week, one million people filed past the coffin of the illiterate brother who had accompanied them through their sorrows and sufferings, and who had been for them a kind of doorway to heaven.
St. Joseph’s Oratory, completed after Brother André’s death, still attracts over two million pilgrims a year. It is filled with crutches, notes of gratitude, prayers – the signs of Brother André’s friends then and now.

3. St. Marie Rivier

At the age of two, Marie-Anne Rivier, of Montpezat, France, was severely crippled by a fall from a bunk bed. Over the four years that followed, Marie’s mother carried her daily to a statue of the Pieta in a nearby chapel, at the child’s own insistence. Marie told her mother, “That woman in the chapel will cure me.” She would pray, “Cure me, Blessed Mother, and I’ll give you a hat…Cure me. If you don’t, I’ll pout.” On September 7, 1774, Marie’s father died. The next day, the feast of the Birth of Mary, after the family had returned home from the father’s funeral, Marie miraculously began to walk again. Later, in the chapel, Marie’s mother discovered a hat she had made for her daughter resting upon the Madonna’s head, having been placed there by the grateful child as a votive offering. Marie grew up to become the foundress of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, devoted to the care and education of needy children. Her spirituality was marked by a profound reverence for the sacred liturgy. Deeply devoted to Eucharistic adoration, she would spend hour upon hour on Holy Thursday praying before the Blessed Sacrament in the repository.

Region 2

4. St. Brigid of Ireland

Saint Brigid of Kildare, also known as Brigid of Ireland or Brigit, was one of Ireland’s most beloved and important saints.She lived during the 5th and 6th centuries and is often regarded as the patroness of Ireland, alongside Saint Patrick and Saint Columba.

Early life of Saint Brigid

Born in 451 AD in Faughart, near Dundalk in County Louth, Brigid's father was a pagan chieftain named Dubhthach, and her mother, Brocca, was a Christian slave. They named their daughter after one of the Pagan Goddesses. This goddess was the goddess of fire, her manifestations were song, craftsmanship, and poetry. Irish people considered this as the flame of knowledge.

Brigid was raised in a Christian environment and is said to have been devout from a young age, showing remarkable charity and care for the poor. Known to have a big heart and she could never refuse the poor when they came to her door. However, her father resented this. He disagreed with her actions and thought she was being overly generous. She had a thing of giving away her father's milk and flour to the less fortunate. After receiving permission from her father, she took religious vows and became a nun.

Brigid founded a convent at Kildare named "Church of the Oak," around 480 AD. It developed into one of Ireland's most significant hubs for education and spirituality.

The monastery at Kildare, which she founded with the help of Bishop Conleth, became a double monastery for men and women. Brigid served as abbess, and Kildare became a center of faith, education, and culture. The monastery was also known for its scriptorium, where monks produced illuminated manuscripts similar to the famous Book of Kells.

Miracles of Saint Brigid

Numerous miracles are attributed to Saint Brigid, emphasizing her compassion for the poor and her close connection to nature.

One of the most famous miracles associated with Saint Brigid is when she turned water into beer. According to legend, during a visit by unexpected guests, Brigid had nothing to serve them. With her usual generosity and divine intervention, she transformed water into beer to ensure her guests were properly cared for.

St Brigid's cloak

A widely told miracle involves the legend of St Brigid’s cloak. She approached a local king to ask for land on which to build her monastery in Kildare. The king was hesitant and told her she could have as much land as her cloak would cover. Brigid spread her cloak on the ground, and miraculously, it expanded to cover a vast area. Astonished by this miracle, the king granted her the land.

In the monastery a sacred flame was kept burning in her honor. According to legend, this eternal flame burned continuously for centuries after her death, tended by her nuns. The flame was believed to be miraculous and was only extinguished during the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII in the 16th century. It was rekindled in the 20th century as a symbol of peace and Brigid’s enduring legacy.

Generosity & charity

Known for her generosity to the poor, Brigid often performed miracles related to food. One story recounts how she gave away all of her mother’s butter to the needy. When her mother scolded her, Brigid prayed, and the butter was miraculously replenished. In another instance, she is said to have multiplied bread and bacon to feed a large group of hungry people.

Her father, who was displeased with her constant charity, took her to the king to sell her into slavery thinking this would put an end to her giving. While waiting for the king, Brigid gave away her father's jeweled sword to a beggar. Instead of punishing her, the king was impressed by her generosity and set her free.

Healing powers

She is also known for her healing powers. Many stories describe her curing people of various ailments such as healing a man who was mute by touching his lips. IN another story she restored sight to the blind, including a man who had lost his sight in an accident. Brigid also healed lepers and provided comfort to the sick, often through simple gestures like prayers or blessings.

Animals

St Brigid had a deep connection with animals. Legend says she tamed a wild boar that had been terrorizing the local population. After she blessed the animal, it became docile and no longer harmed people. Similarly, there are stories of her calming wild horses and other creatures.

Legacy of St Brigid

Brigid is believed to have died around 524 AD. She was laid to rest in a tomb before the high altar in her abbey church in Kildare. When the Vikings invaded Ireland her remains were moved to Downpatrick, where they are said to rest alongside Saint Patrick and Saint Columba of Iona.

The skull of St Brigid was transported to Church of Saint John The Baptist in Lumiar outside of Lisbon, Portugal, by three Irish Knights. They remained with St Brigid's relic until they died and were interred in the tomb.

The tomb of St Brigid's skull and the 3 Irish Irish Knights remains today with an inscription reading

Here in these three tombs lie the three Irish knights who brought the head of St. Brigid, Virgin, a native of Ireland, whose relic is preserved in this chapel. In memory of which, the officials of the Table of the same Saint caused this to be done in January A.D. 1283.

In 2024 a bone fragment was gifted to St Brigid’s parish church in Kildare.

Saint Brigid's feast day is celebrated on February 1, which also coincides with the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc, marking the beginning of spring. She is the patron saint of Ireland, as well as of dairymaids, midwives, blacksmiths, poets, and healers. Her influence extended far beyond her lifetime, and many churches, schools, and places in Ireland are dedicated to her.

8. Venerable Carla Ronci

Carla Ronci was born in Rimini, Italy. As a child, she termed herself “neither very good nor very naughty.” She dated her “conversion,” at fourteen, to her encounter with a group of Ursuline nuns working with abandoned children; they instilled in her a desire to serve God through other people. 

While working as a tailor, Carla threw herself into Catholic Action—a movement popular with young people seeking to live out their faith. With her vivacious personality, she soon became a leader. Happily scooting about on her Vespa motorbike, she visited the sick, organized religious education programs, and worked with children, helping them to know and love God. “I began to see Jesus in others,” she wrote. “I felt I could meet Jesus in the poor, the suffering, and little.” 

Confirmed in her vocation to pursue sanctity in the world, in 1962 she joined a secular institute, Mater Misericordiae, which allowed her to live a prayerful life while living at home. She felt a special mission to pray for priests, for their perseverance and faith. 

In 1969 she contracted lung cancer. “Lord,” she prayed, “you can no longer suffer in your own body, so take mine to continue your Passion and Redemption.” Her death followed on April 2, 1970. She whispered to her confessor, “Here he comes . . . Jesus smiles on me.” She was declared venerable in 1997. 



“I am happy to exist. I am content with everything that surrounds me because in everything I detect a gift of God. All the peace which fills and pervades my heart comes from possessing Jesus.” —Venerable Carla Ronci

2. St. John Neumann

Born in Prachatitz, Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic), the young John Neumann received a fine education. Upon completing his childhood schooling, he considered becoming a medical doctor. His mother, however, being a woman of much faith, could see that her son’s true desire was to be a priest, so she encouraged him to apply to the seminary. To his surprise, he was accepted and began his seminary studies for the Diocese of Budweis on November 1, 1831 at the age of twenty.

While in the seminary, he was inspired by the missionary journeys of Saint Paul who endured beatings, shipwrecks, stonings, sleepless nights, hunger, and exposure to the elements. Most people would be deterred from missionary work after reading about Saint Paul’s travails, but not Seminarian John Neumann. When he learned about the need for priests in the mission territory of the newly founded United States of America, he made up his mind to cross the ocean to serve there after his ordination.

Upon completing his seminary studies, John’s ordination to the priesthood was initially delayed when his bishop became seriously ill and then ultimately canceled because his diocese had too many priests. The cancellation was John’s sign to imitate Saint Paul, so he immediately boarded a ship to the United States in the hope of finding a bishop to ordain him for service to America’s immigrants. He arrived in New York with one set of clothes and a dollar to his name. To his surprise and delight, the Bishop of New York, John Dubois, a European immigrant of a previous generation, warmly welcomed him and ordained him only seventeen days after his arrival. The bishop was desperate for German-speaking priests to serve his people. 

Father Neumann’s first assignment was near Niagara Falls in northern New York, where his parish covered about a thousand square miles, and his parishioners consisted mostly of poor immigrant farmers. Like Saint Paul, he traveled constantly, celebrating Mass, teaching, visiting homes, and building churches. Father John was tireless. His humble, warm, and thoughtful personality made an impression on many. Eventually, providence led him to the Redemptorist Order where he took vows and was later appointed the first General Superior of the order’s ten foundations in America. Five years later, he was named the fourth bishop of Philadelphia. In the City of Brotherly Love, he continued to work tirelessly, establishing the diocesan school system, promoting 40 hours devotion, and building many schools and churches. He traveled constantly so that he could be close to his people and shepherd them in person, rather than from behind a desk. Bishop John Neumann remained in Philadelphia until his death at the age of forty-nine in 1860. In 1977, he became the first American bishop to be canonized a saint. He is one of the first future saints ever to be photographed.



Saint John Neumann’s life should inspire each of us to work diligently to fulfill the mission God has entrusted to us. Oftentimes, zeal and a firm resolve to serve God must come first; then God will show us the way to put that zeal to work. Allow Saint John Neumann’s life to inspire you to deepen your resolve to do all you can for the glory of God and the building up of His Kingdom on Earth.

6. St. John de Britto

Saint John De Brito (1647-1693) was a native of Lisbon, Portugal, a courtier from an aristocratic family. When he was 15 he entered the Jesuit Order and became very interested in the life and mission of Saint Francis Xavier. Though his father was Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, John asked to be sent to the missions of India. He began his ministry in Goa, where he was assigned to teach Philosophy to Jesuit seminarians. But he soon asked for, and was assigned to serve, in direct pastoral ministry to the people.

John at first hoped to win over members of both the higher and the lower castes to Christianity, and so he dressed and lived as an Indian ascetic. He attracted so many members of the lowest caste to Christianity that members of the royalty of Madura saw John as a threat to the caste system. They imprisoned and tortured him, but then released him. The Jesuits recalled him to Portugal. But after four years, he was allowed to return to Goa, and went back to the same territory where he had once been held captive. When the raja of the area was dying, he asked John to baptize him, offering hope of further success with the higher caste. But, a short time later, a relative of one of the former raja’s many wives beheaded John with a scimitar.

John is portrayed in the attire of an ascetic, with a gold flame at each side of his head, representing two miracles attributed to him during his lifetime. The orange-red heart at the right knee and a black yin and yang symbol at the right ankle indicate his love for the people of all India. He stands on greenery, under which is a black scroll weighted down by a scimitar.


The shield of the Society of Jesus consists of a blue circlet on a purple background on which the Jesuit logo, IHS is written above the three nails of the crucifixion of Jesus, surrounded by rays of light. A circle around the shield contains the words “Society of Jesus” and the abbreviated motto of the Society, “A.M.D.G.” (“For the Greater Glory of God”). The foundation date of the Society is 1540.

Region 3

5. St. Mary Zhu Wu

St. Mary Zhu Wu (1850-1900) was a Chinese mother of four, married to Zhu Dianxuan, the lay leader of the Christians in their village. During the Boxer Rebellion, Wu and her husband led their village in accepting nearly 3,000 Christian refugees, including two European priests. Dianxuan led the men in building fortifications and fighting against the 4,500 Boxer soldiers who came against them, but was killed when a cannon backfired. By the time the Boxers breached the village’s defenses, some thousand Christians were packed into the church seeking general absolution. As the Boxers burst into the church, Wu stood in front of their priest, St. Leon Mangin, and held her arms out to shield him from the bullets. She was killed, as were hundreds of others. Only 500 Christians survived the massacre; most were then sold into slavery.

8. Venerable Henriette Delille

Venerable Henriette DeLille was born on March 11, 1813, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the great, great-granddaughter of a slave from West Africa. However, she was born a free woman of color. 

Her family was large but tight knit. Henriette grew up with a promising and well-established childhood. Her mother, Marie-Josèphe “Pouponne” Díaz, trained Henriette in music, French literature, and dancing. She hoped that her daughter would find a wealthy white suitor and enter into a common-law marriage. 

To the displeasure of her mother, Henriette fell in love with and grew in her Catholic faith. Henriette began teaching at a Catholic school at the young age of 14 years old. She was confirmed in 1834 and immediately after she began to pursue religious life. 

Giving her all to her religious calling, she sold her belongings and used the money to establish the Sisters of the Presentation in 1836; in 1842, she renamed the religious congregation the Sisters of the Holy Family. This order would become the second Black religious order established in the United States. Henriette served as the order’s first mother superior. The founding of the order would not have been possible without the help and assistance of her friends, Josephine Charles and Juliette Gaudin. These women served enslaved and free people, children and adults. 

They made the mission of the Sisters of the Holy Family to be the apostolic intentions of caring for the sick, helping the poor, and educating the ignorant. 

The Sisters of the Holy Family established the Lafon Nursing Facility, which is the first and oldest Catholic nursing home in the United States. The sisters also educated enslaved people, which was illegal at that time. They did everything in their power to make sure that they could help others, even though they didn’t receive much support from the communities around them. Venerable Henriette DeLille was well known for her prayer: “I believe in God. I hope in God. I love. I want to live and die for God.” She lived her life to the fulfilment of these words. 



About 20 years after establishing the order, Venerable Henriette DeLille passed away on November 17, 1862, in New Orleans, Louisiana, from tuberculosis. Her legacy would be an enduring inspiration to those all around her. 

In 2010, she was declared venerable by Pope Benedict XVI. When Venerable Henriette DeLille is canonized, she will join Servants of God Julia Greeley and Sister Thea Bowman as the first United States-born African American saints. 

Venerable Henriette DeLille has inspired many with her hard work and dedication. She dedicated her life to improving the welfare of her community, specifically the Black community, whether they were enslaved or free. 

Henriette’s courage, kindness and humility should be emulated in our daily lives. Because of Venerable Henriette DeLille’s legacy, she will continue to inspire many people all over the world to always strive to do good and serve others.

3. St. Rafqa

Saint Rafqa, also know as Saint Rebecca, was born in Hemlaya, Lebanon on June 29, 1832. She was the only child of her parents, Saber El-Choboq El-Rayess and Rafqa Gemayel. She was baptized on July 7, 1832 and named Boutroussieh.

Her parents were devout Christians and taught her daily prayers. By all accounts, her childhood was happy and simple, until she was just 7 years old and her mother, Rafqa (for whom she was named) died.The death of her mother started a period of tribulation for Rafqa and her father, who soon experienced financial difficulties. Rafqa was sent to work as a domestic servant for four years to help support the family. During that period, she worked in Damascus, away from her father.

In 1847, she returned to find that her father had remarried and his new wife desired that Rafqa marry her brother. At the same time, an aunt wanted to arrange a marriage between Rafqa and her cousin. Rafqa was left to decide what to do with herself, split between two potential suitors and under pressure from family to make two different choices. She turned to prayer and asked God to guide her. Her answer surprised everyone. Rafqa would marry neither man, but instead would devote her life to Jesus and become a nun.

Rafqa traveled to the convent of Our Lady of Deliverance in Bikfaya. She joined the Mariamettes, founded by Fr. Jospeh Gemayel. According to legend, when she entered the convent and gazed upon the icon of Our Lady of Deliverance, she heard the voice of God tell her "You will become a nun.”

The Mother Superior of the convent accepted her immediately, without question. Shortly thereafter, her father and his new wife arrived to try to dissuade Rafqa from her God-chosen path. She refused to leave and remained devoted to her vocation. She was sent to Deir El Qamar to teach catechism. The town became the site of civil unrest and on one occasions he reportedly saved a child from murder by hiding him under her robes. She served in Deir El Qamar for a year.

In 1861, she returned to her congregation and become a novice. On March 19, 1862, she took her temporary vows and was assigned to kitchen service in a seminary.

Rafqa spent her free time learning Arabic, writing, and arithmetic. She also helped convince other girls to join the congregation. In 1863, she continued working as a teacher, first at a school belonging to her congregation in Byblos, then Maad village where she and a fellow sister established a new school for girls. Following this early period, Rafqa repeatedly heard messages from heaven. When her order faced a crisis, god told her "You will remain a nun." And she heard the voices of saints directing her to enter the Lebanese Maronite Order. She obeyed.

Sister Rafqa took her solemn vows in the new order on Augist 25, 1872. During her time, she was known to be quiet and contemplative. She was devoted to prayer and spoke little. She commonly made sacrifices and lived in great austerity.

In October 1885, Sister Rafqa made an unusual request of Jesus, asking to share in his suffering. She immediately began to experience pain in her head, which moved to her eyes. Her superior was concerned about Rafqa's pain and ordered that she be examined by doctors and sent to Beirut for treatment. As she passed through the nearby church in Byblos, the congregation made note that an American doctor was in the area. The located the doctor who recommended immediate surgery for Sister Rafqa.

During the surgery, she refused anesthesia, and the doctor made a mistake which caused her eye to emerge from its socket and fall to the floor. Sister Rafqa, instead of panicking, blessed the doctor, saying "For Christ's passion, god bless your hands and may God repay you.” The surgery did not succeed. Shortly thereafter, pain entered her left eye.

For the next 12 years, she experienced pain in her remaining eye and headaches. At no point did she reverse her wish to share in Christ's suffering. Instead, she remained joyful in prayer and patient in her suffering. She remained quiet for long periods, speaking infrequently, but always joyously. In 1887, Sister Rafqa was sent with five other sisters to found a new monastery in Jrabta, Batroun in Lebanon. She did as she was asked, working patiently and diligently as she was able despite her suffering. In 1899, she became blind and paralysis set in.

Eventually she was confined to bed, mostly paralyzed and only able to lie on her right side. Her body withered, but her hands remained capable, and she used them to knit socks. A wound developed in left shoulder, which she referred to as "the wound in the shoulder of Jesus.” This continued for seven years. On March 23, 1914, she received her last communion and called upon Jesus and the Holy Family, then went to her reward in Heaven.



After she was buried in the monastery cemetery, a light appeared on her grave for three consecutive light and was witnessed by many. In 1925, a case for her beatification was opened in the Vatican and the investigation into her life began in the year following. In 1927, her grave was exhumed and she was reburied in the monastery church. Pope John Paul declared her venerable on Feb. 11, 1982, and she was beatified on Nov. 17, 1985. She was finally recognized as a saint on July 10, 2001.

7. Blessed James Miller

Brother James was born into a family of farmers near Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA, on September 21, 1944. He attended grammar school and then went to Pacelli High School in the city of Stevens Point, where he met the Brothers for the first time. In September 1959 he entered the Juniorate in the state of Missouri. After three years there, he was admitted into the Postulancy program and then entered the Novitiate in August 1962, when he took the habit of the Brothers and the religious name Brother Leo William. Later, like so many other Brothers, he went back to using his baptismal name.

He was assigned to Cretin High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota for three years. There, besides teaching classes in Spanish, English and Religion, he supervised school maintenance and he coached American-style football.

In August 1960 after making perpetual vows, he was sent to Bluefields, Nicaragua. He taught there until he was assigned to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua in 1974, where he was the Director. Under his leadership the school population grew from 300 to 800 students. Brother Santiago also accepted the task of supervising the construction of ten new rural schools. His religious superiors ordered him to leave Nicaragua in July 1979 during the time of the Sandinista revolution. It was feared that since he worked for the Somoza government he might be at risk. For that reason he returned to the United States and again taught at Cretin High School in the fall of 1979 and he participated in the Sangre de Cristo renewal program in the state of New Mexico in 1980.

He was sent again to mission territory, this time to Guatemala, in January 1981. He taught at the secondary school in Huehuetenango and he also worked at the Indian Center, where young indigenous Mayans from rural areas studied and trained in agriculture.



In the afternoon of February 13, 1982, he was shot several times by three hooded men and he died instantly. Attempts to identify the assassins were unsuccessful. After funeral rites in Guatemala and in Saint Paul, Minnesota, he was buried in the parish cemetery in Polonia, Wisconsin.

His own writings and other declarations pertaining to him, before and after his death, show us his character and personality. Before leaving Pacelli High School to go to the Juniorate, the Brothers that knew him wrote that “he was very generous, pious, honest, docile and that he was very well-ordered and tidy; he did not smoke, he received the sacraments weekly, he got along well with his classmates; he devoted two and one-half hours per week to house chores.”

One of his professors from the Scholasticate portrays him enthusiastically as being “attractive with an open and sociable personality, likeable, completely genuine; people were captivated by his simplicity: he was very intelligent and also very simple.” Community notes in the discussion that preceded his perpetual profession spoke of his generosity, positive influence and living desire to work in the missions. A Brother who was his Director in the Scholasticate and at Cretin High School, his first community, recalled him as “an intelligent person, although not an intellectual, jovial, easy to relate with, preferring physical work to sports, with a deep faith and love for his religious vocation, but with a certain tendency to come late to class and community prayers.”

While he was still in Nicaragua, his old desire to work on the missions was obvious. From Nicaragua he wrote about the satisfaction he felt while working for the very poor. Responding to the question if he felt afraid about the shootings that were taking place around him, he wrote: “Are you kidding? I never thought I could pray with such fervor when I go to bed.” In one of his last letters before he died, he showed that he was aware of the situation in Guatemala and the possible personal consequences for him. He wrote in January 1982: “I am personally weary of violence, but I continue to feel a strong commitment to the suffering poor of Central America. … the Church is being persecuted because of its option for the poor. Aware of numerous dangers and difficulties, we continue working with faith and hope and trusting in God’s Providence.” He went on to write: “I have been a Brother of the Christian Schools for nearly 20 years now, and commitment to my vocation grows steadily stronger in my work in Central America. I pray to God for the grace and strength to serve Him faithfully among the poor and oppressed in Guatemala. I place my life in His Providence. I place my trust in Him.” He died one month after writing those words.

Each year since the assassination of Brother James Miller in Guatemala, the Justice and Peace Commission of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin, organizes, in collaboration with the Brothers of the Christian Schools of the Midwest District, on the occasion of the anniversary of his death, a ceremony for his brothers, sisters and other relatives. In this way the wish of Brother Cyril Litecky, the Visitor at the time of Brother James’ death, is fulfilled. Brother Cyril wrote shortly after his death that it is important not to forget Brother James Miller. “That for which he lived and died is the Gospel message of freedom, peace, justice and truth.”

Region 4

4. St. Anna Wang

Saint Anna Wang is a Chinese Roman Catholic martyr who is recognized as one of the patrons of the Catholic Church in China. She was born in 1886 in the Hebei province of China and died on July 9th, 1900, at the young age of 14. Her feast day is celebrated on July 9th each year.

Anna Wang's story is one of courage and faith. She was born into a Catholic family and grew up in a time of great persecution for Chinese Catholics. In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, anti-foreign and anti-Christian sentiments were running high in China. Anna's village was attacked by a group of Boxers, who were opposed to the spread of Christianity in China.

Despite the danger, Anna refused to renounce her faith and convert to Chinese folk religion. She was brutally tortured and eventually killed, along with her mother and several other members of her family. Anna's faith and strength in the face of persecution have made her an inspiration to Catholics in China and around the world.

Saint Anna Wang was beatified by Pope Pius XII on November 24th, 1946, and canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1st, 2000, along with 119 other Chinese martyrs. They are collectively known as the Martyrs of China. The canonization was a significant event in the history of the Catholic Church in China, as it recognized the sacrifice and faith of Chinese Catholics who had suffered persecution for centuries.

In addition to being a patron saint of China, Saint Anna Wang is also considered the patron saint of youth and the innocent. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up for one's faith, even in the face of great adversity.

Interestingly, there is a statue of Saint Anna Wang outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Beijing, which was originally built by Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century. The cathedral was severely damaged during the Boxer Rebellion, but was later restored and remains an important symbol of the Catholic Church in China.

8. Venerable Antonietta Meo

Antonietta Meo, affectionately known as “Nennolina,” was born on December 15, 1930, in Rome. At just four years old, a swelling on her knee was diagnosed as osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer. Despite the amputation of her leg, Antonietta remained cheerful and returned to school with an artificial leg.

Nennolina’s profound spirituality became evident through the letters she wrote to Jesus, Mary, and the saints. In these letters, she expressed her love and offered her suffering for the conversion of sinners. “The pain is like fabric,” she wrote to her father, “the stronger it is, the more value it has.” Her deep understanding of redemptive suffering astonished even seasoned theologians.

On Christmas Day 1936, Antonietta received her First Communion, a moment of great joy despite her deteriorating health.



She continued to write over 100 letters, many of which she placed at the foot of a statue of Baby Jesus in her room. Her unwavering faith and acceptance of her suffering touched everyone around her, including Pope Pius XI.

Antonietta’s final days were marked by a serene acceptance of her fate. She comforted her grieving mother, predicting her own death and reassuring her that she would soon be with Jesus. On July 3, 1937, at the age of six, Nennolina passed away, leaving behind a legacy of remarkable faith and devotion.

On December 17, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI declared her Venerable, recognizing her heroic virtues. If canonized, she will become the youngest non-martyred saint in Church history, marking her as the youngest person in the process of being considered a saint and confessor.

3. St. Agnes

The stories surrounding St. Agnes’ life and death are varied. We know the place of her burial, her approximate age, and the place where she was martyred. Much less is known about her life, though there are many stories passed down since her martyrdom in the fourth century.

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates her feast day every Jan. 21, the day of her death. She was only about 12 or 13 year old when she was martyred in 304 A.D., but she has been honored by the Church for more than 1,700 years.

Today, the saint’s skull resides in a side chapel of the church Sant’Agnese in Agone in the Piazza Navona, Rome. Her body was buried in what is now known as the catacomb of St. Agnes, and her bones are still preserved in the Church of St. Agnes Outside the Walls, which was built over the catacomb where she was originally buried.

St. Agnes’ name means “chaste” in Greek and “lamb” in Latin. Both meanings foreshadowed her death as a virgin martyr who died because she defended her chastity and refused to give up her faith. St. Agnes was born to noble, Christian parents in 291 A.D. in the Roman Empire. She lived during a time of Christian persecution under the reign of Emperor Diocletian.

In the year 302, the emperor resolved to wipe out Christianity. While Agnes was growing up, in 303, Diocletian along with his co-ruler Galerius called for the destruction of churches and the burning of books. Clergy and laity were imprisoned and tortured for refusing to worship the emperor.

There are accounts of her life going back to the late fourth and early fifth century, including one by the Roman Christian poet Prudentius called “The Passion of Agnes.” St. Ambrose and Pope Damusus wrote accounts of her martyrdom as well. Though there are small differences across all, the general story is quite similar.

An anonymous author popularized her story through a biography, “The Life of St. Agnes of Rome: Virgin and Martyr,” written in French in the 1800s and translated to English soon after.

The story goes that as she was returning home one day, Procopius, the son of a Roman prefect Symphronius, fell in love with her and sought to marry her. He brought her many gifts and offered her riches, but she refused, saying she was bound to her spouse — Christ.

When Symphronius learned that she was Christian, he put her on trial.

“My life belongs to him who has chosen me first,” she insisted in response to his threats, refusing to betray her vow to Christ.

Though the prefect at first offered her a chance to preserve her virginity by becoming a priestess of the goddess Vesta, she refused, and so he sent her to a brothel. When he ordered her stripped of her garments, the story goes that her hair unbraided and grew to cover her. As she was paraded through the streets, the onlookers are said to have looked away.

When she reached the brothel, an angel of the Lord surrounded her with a bright light, obscuring her from the eyes of those who intended to rape her. Though many in the brothel fell down in worship, when the son of the prefect approached her, calling the others cowards, he died.
 

The prefect blamed her for the death of his son, but when she defended herself against his accusations of witchcraft, the prefect said he would believe if she asked the angel to bring him back. After she prostrated herself on the ground in prayer, the son came back to life.

Priests and authority figures became concerned about the attention Agnes was getting and condemned her to death. The prefect abandoned her, and she was thrown into a fire in a public area. But the flame, the story goes, divided in half and did not touch her. In another version, the stake she was tied to would not burn. She praised God and then was executed by beheading.

Because of the nature of her martyrdom, the Church honors St. Agnes as the patron saint of girls, chastity, virgins, and victims of rape.

On the day of her feast day, two lambs are blessed. The lambs are then shorn, and the wool is used to make palliums, liturgical vestments worn by archbishops.

7. Blessed Charles of Austria

Blessed Charles of Austria was one of the few political leaders in Europe who followed their faith and their reason to denounce the atrocity of World War I.

He was born in 1887 to a family that was ruling Austria and Hungary. Charles was raised in the Catholic faith, and grew up with devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Eucharist.

In 1911, he married Princess Zita, also a devout Catholic, and the two bore eight children. When his uncle, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated in 1914, Charles was next in line to reign. The emperor began to fold Charles into his discussions about ruling, but this education was cut short as World War I broke out.

Two years later, the emperor died, and Charles took the throne as emperor—he was the last ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In his reign, he worked very hard for peace, and was the only political ruler to support Pope Benedict XV’s plans for ending the war.

Political negotiations fractured the empire and when the armistice brought an end to the war, Charles left the throne (though he did not abdicate) and was exiled to Switzerland. He worked to oppose the rise of Communism; he also tried several times to reclaim his role as ruler, but fell short and did not want to incite civil war. He lived out the rest of his days with his family on the Portuguese island of Madeira. In 1922, Charles caught pneumonia and died.

When Pope St. John Paul II beatified Charles in 2004, he said, “The decisive task of Christians consists in seeking, recognizing and following God’s will in all things. The Christian statesman, Charles of Austria, confronted this challenge every day. To his eyes, war appeared as ‘something appalling.’ Amid the tumult of the First World War, he strove to promote the peace initiative of my predecessor, Benedict XV.”

Blessed Charles of Austria, you brought your faith to the task of building peace during World War I—pray for us!